Our firm has extensive experience providing general counsel for counties and cities throughout Southwest Georgia. We understand the nuances of local government law. We are familiar with the Open Records Act, the Open Meetings Act, the legal process for establishing a budget, LOST and SPLOST issues, the Zoning Procedures Act, code enforcement, elections, ad valorem tax assessment, tax foreclosures, and many other areas of government law. Our attorneys also specialize in human resources and employment law issues for local governments.
Two of our lawyers currently serve as local government attorneys, including Rick Lawson, who is the Crisp County Attorney, and Kimberly Reid, who is the Sumter County Attorney and the City of Unadilla Attorney. The firm also represents local government authorities, such as the Middle Flint Regional E-911 Authority.
Our attorneys understand the value of establishing relationships with our local government clients and learning about their needs and goals. They are also aware of funding limitations and recognize that local governments need efficient representation at a reasonable cost. Our team offers creative strategies to help you reduce your attorneys' fees, such as creating basic templates that can be reused and training department heads and supervisors in critical areas of the law.
Drafting Ordinances
We can review or draft ordinances for local governments. Our attorneys have experience drafting local ordinances in many areas, including:
- Zoning;
- Sign Regulation;
- Building Codes;
- Roads and Bridges;
- Granting Use of Public Rights-of-Way;
- Alcohol Licenses;
- Public Nuisances;
- Emergency Management;
- Business Licenses; and
- Traffic and Vehicles.
Human Resources Counseling
Our combined experience in local government law and employment law makes us particularly effective in handling human resources issues. We counsel many local governments regarding their personnel policies and procedures, reprimands, terminations, and reductions in force. If litigation arises, we will aggressively defend any claims if your local government is self-insured. If you are insured, we can bring the attorney appointed by your insurer up to speed and serve as local counsel, if needed.
Risk Management
Unlike many lawyers who have only dabbled in litigation, our attorneys are seasoned litigators who have tried cases in local, state, and federal courts. We understand the necessity of reducing risk to avoid litigation. As your attorney, we will monitor your general practices to identify areas of high risk and will work with you to reduce any such risks to help avoid litigation. Also, we can train department heads and supervisors on legal issues unique to their areas to minimize future risk.
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